Why Job Interview Tips Seem Generic

ACING a job interview does not guarantee high performance on the job ... and poor performance at one does not rule out success ... When asked during a job interview to “tell me about yourself”, some people freeze. Their mind goes blank and palms go all sweaty. They forget half of what they know makes them great at what they do. On the job, the same person is very different. They are unstoppable, solve problems, manage even the trickiest of clients and take on tasks others avoid. Yet none of that shows up when they are sitting in front of an interview panel. Being good at interviews and being good at the job are two very different things. We tend to assume the person who nails the interview will also nail the job. But that logic is flawed. More often than not, interviews reward confidence rather than competence. They favour quick thinkers but not necessarily deep thinkers, leaving quieter candidates or those who struggle under pressure at risk of being overlooked. It is not that these candidates lack skill or motivation. They just do not shine in artificial settings that favour polish over potential. As a result highly capable people miss out even though their resumes stack up and references are glowing. But they stumble through awkward introductions, second-guess their answers and walk away from interviews feeling like they have blown it. The interview system just does not play to their strengths. Interviews are a blunt instrument when it comes to assessing the full scope of someone’s ability. Their focus on questions like “tell me about a time when …” often lead to rehearsed, generic answers rather than useful insight. Even candidates who have the gift of the gab can leave an interview feeling like it was more an interrogation than a conversation. It is easy to dismiss candidates who are challenged by the traditional interview as being not interview-ready. Maybe the better question is whether the interview is job-ready. Most roles do not require someone to sit in a room and answer abstract questions about hypothetical situations. They demand persistence, teamwork, judgment and follow-through. They require people who can get on with the task, not just talk about how they would do it. For employers, there is a growing case for thinking beyond traditional interviews. Adding in work samples, job trials or even a casual chat over coffee can give a more rounded sense of a candidate’s capabilities. The risk is not just passing over a perfectly good candidate – it is missing out on someone who would have made a lasting contribution. Some of the best workers are simply not the best interviewees. And until we stop confusing interview ability with job suitability, we will keep getting it the wrong way around. #work #worplace #humanresources #management #leadership #aimwa #recruitment Cartoon used under licence: CartoonStock

In interviews, 7 seconds can make all the difference. It's the crucial time when your interviewer decides: Are you genuinely engaged or just going through the motions? Many candidates play it safe with generic responses like "I'm a hard worker" or "I have 10 years of experience." But imagine the impact of sharing something specific and authentic: - "I underestimated a project's complexity, learning the value of early stakeholder input." - "I believe in meaningful work through shared values, aligning with your company's..." - "Recognizing stress as a signal, I prioritize before taking action." Suddenly, the atmosphere changes. You're not reciting; you're connecting. Generic answers leave generic impressions. Specific insights leave a lasting mark. Interviews reveal your problem-solving approach, not just the solutions you offer. Successful candidates aren't flawless; they're adaptable and reflective, showcasing growth. Each response shapes their perception of you and your work style. It's not about impressing; it's about revealing authenticity. Your uniqueness might be what sets you apart and sparks new perspectives. Those 7 seconds aren't about fitting in; they're about standing out. If this resonates, share it with your network.

Your interview prep could be why you're not getting offers. If you Google "top 10 interview questions." If you memorize canned answers that sound like everyone else. If you freeze when they ask something you didn't script. That's not prep. That's self-sabotage. Here's a framework that actually works: 1️⃣ Build a story bank Write down 3–5 concrete examples that prove your value. Not responsibilities. Not buzzwords. Real situations where you solved problems and delivered results. 2️⃣ Use the PAR-3 method Every story needs: → The right Problem (what was broken) → The right Actions (what YOU did) → The right Result (the measurable outcome) Keep it tight. No rambling. No filler. 3️⃣ Map stories to the job Pull up the job description. Circle the 5-6 must-have skills. Match one of your stories to each skill. Now you're speaking their language. 4️⃣ Practice with feedback Record yourself answering out loud. Watch it back. Cringe a little. Fix it. Better yet, practice with someone who'll call out the weak spots. You don't need perfection. You need clarity and confidence. 5️⃣ Prep your questions Interviews aren't one-way auditions. Ask about what success looks like in the role. Ask about team dynamics. Ask what challenges they're facing. Top candidates evaluate the company just as hard as they're being evaluated. 6️⃣ Regulate your mindset Stop treating interviews like interrogations. You're not begging for a job. You're exploring if this is a mutual fit. Walk in calm. Walk in ready. Walk in knowing your worth. The average candidate hopes to survive the interview. The best candidates walk in ready to win it. What's the worst curveball question you've been asked? Let's compare notes below.

Too many candidates walk into interviews hoping the hiring manager will hand them the answers. They won’t. They’re expecting you to be the subject matter expert. To know your stuff. To be razor-specific about what you’ve done, how you’ve done it, and the impact it made. You don’t get to pitch vague ideas and hope someone bites. You need to show up with proof, precision, and confidence. Here’s the deal: Generalities don’t get offers. “I helped improve the process” means nothing. “I reduced onboarding time by 30% by implementing a new ATS workflow” gets attention. Hiring managers aren’t there to coach you. They’re busy. They’re evaluating. They want to know if you can solve their problem, not if you might be able to. Back-and-forth wastes time. Be clear. Be direct. Be ready. If you don’t know your numbers, your tools, or your wins, someone else will. Want to stand out? Be the person who walks in with answers, not questions. Be the person who’s done the work and can speak to it with clarity. Be the person who makes hiring you a no-brainer. Because in business and in interviews, specificity wins.

If you have been job searching for months and nothing meaningful is changing, more generic advice is probably not the answer. That includes: another résumé review another AI rewrite another random checklist from the internet Because today’s market is not one-size-fits-all. What works for one person can completely miss the mark for someone else. A professional with 20 years of experience trying to pivot industries needs a very different strategy than someone making a lateral move in the same space. Someone targeting six figures cannot position themselves the same way as someone early in their career. Someone applying nationally has different challenges than someone tied to one geographic market. And yet so many people are still trying to solve highly specific career problems with broad advice written for everyone. That is why people stay stuck longer than they need to. The résumé may not be the issue. The issue may be: unclear direction weak positioning wrong target roles messaging that sounds like everyone else or applying with materials that do not match the level being pursued AI can help. But only if you know exactly what to ask, what to ignore, and how to shape it around your actual goal. Otherwise, you get polished language that still does not move the needle. In this market, customization matters more than ever. Because generic gets overlooked. Strategy gets traction. Sometimes the problem is not effort. It is that the advice being followed does not match the situation.

Have YOU ever felt frustrated after applying countless job search tips only to find they don’t work for you? 😨 You’re not alone! ╰┈➤ Many job search tips circulating online are too generic or oversimplified, often failing to address the diverse challenges individual job seekers face. What might be a winning strategy for a software developer in Silicon Valley could be entirely irrelevant for a finance manager in Berlin, Germany. ╰┈➤ Job search advice often comes in eye-catching, universal formats promising quick fixes. Yet, the job market's complexity and variability mean that what works in one scenario might not work in another. It’s crucial to recognize and avoid the pitfalls of generalized strategies and instead, focus on what aligns with your career goals and industry. ╰┈➤ Many job search tips focus solely on the application process and ATS robot-proof resume templates (read "This is not working"), neglecting the importance of networking and building relationships within your industry. ╰┈➤ The internet is rife with self-proclaimed "experts" offering advice without proper credentials or real-world experience. It's important to vet these sources and seek advice from proven professionals in your field. Remember, there’s no magic formula to land your dream job. It’s about understanding your unique value, effectively communicating it to potential employers, and building authentic connections within your industry. To succeed, you need targeted strategies tailored to YOUR unique career goals and industry. Don't fall for oversimplified "quick fixes" that promise results without considering your individual needs.

Interviewer: “How do you handle tight deadlines and high-pressure situations?” General answer (low signal): “When I face tight deadlines, I focus on staying calm, organising my tasks, and putting in extra effort to make sure everything gets done. I’m good at adapting when things change quickly and I always try to keep communication open.” Sounds reasonable… but it’s still generic. Many opt for a general statement over a specific answer. The interviewer is left wondering: - How exactly do you prioritise? - What systems do you use? - What results have you achieved under pressure? Specific answer (high signal): “In a SaaS rollout last year, the client cut our delivery timeline by 3 weeks. I re-scoped the deliverables to focus on critical integrations, set up daily 15-min standups to surface blockers quickly, and partnered with 2x QAs to speed up testing cycles. We delivered on time, reduced post-launch bugs by 30%, and I learnt that flagging risks early with stakeholders is the best way to prevent scope creep under pressure.” See the difference? One is a broad description. The other is a real example with context, action, outcome, and reflection. If you’re preparing for interviews, replace generic claims with specific stories. That’s how you turn answers into signals. You’ll pass more interviews this way.

For the record: As a recruiter, I also hate that I cannot provide you with specific feedback. My metrics revolve around how many of my candidates get offers. That alone means I want you to get the offer. I want to provide you with every possible tip and trick in the book. If you’re unsuccessful the first time around, I want you to grow into the very best interviewer you can be so that you can come back, interview again and get the offer! From the point of view of a company however, sharing specific feedback is nothing more than an invitation for a lawsuit. As infuriating as that is, large companies don’t have the luxury of thinking of things on a personal, case by case basis. They create overarching policies that act in the best interest of the company. So that’s why the individual recruiter you are working with is not allowed to give you feedback. Here’s what I will say though: Any good recruiter will do anything fair and in their power to do to help you be successful. So when a recruiter tells you before an interview something like “The common things candidates struggle with during this interview are…” or if after an unsuccessful interview you ask for feedback and they say “unfortunately I cannot share specific feedback but what we typically see during this type of interview is that candidates tend to…” YOU NEED TO BE LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES. Because it’s possibly not all that generic. It’s possible it’s anything but generic and actually they are trying to help you in the ways they are able to. I of course cannot speak for all recruiters. I am aware that not all recruiters are putting in the same amount of effort and care. And I also will say that we don’t always have super specific feedback to share even if we could. But what I definitely know is that this isn’t just me. I know many recruiters who do this all the time because again, we want you to win. I know it’s therapeutic for people to trash talk recruiters on this platform, but there are things that are out of our control and this is one of them. 🤷🏻♀️

Job hunting advice is everywhere. Most of it is useless for world-class startup candidates. In this clip from my convo with Bryce Batts on the Women in AEC: Wine After Work podcast, we talk about why generic interview prep doesn’t work in early-stage hiring. Founders want someone who can do the job - but even more, they want someone who understands the chaos, the ambiguity, the mission. That means candidates have to flip the script: Don’t just list your past roles - explain the problems you solve. Don’t just show enthusiasm - match their energy and pace. Don’t just prep for “tell me about yourself” - ask what success looks like in 3 months. If you’re trying to succeed in startup land, especially in hard tech, you can’t just be qualified. You have to speak the language of impact. Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gFy87B9f What’s the best interview advice you’ve ever gotten (or given)?

Important job interview tip using 'Squid Game' as an example 😅 (🚨 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱! 🚨) ⬇ Imagine someone asks, 'Why do you like the show Squid Game?' Here are 2 answers (one bad, one good) 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗲: I love the story! It's really engaging. The actors do a great job. There are interesting characters that make you want to keep watching. 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗼: I love the story! It's so exciting having this contradiction of innocent kid games being life-or-death competitions. It also shows how far people are willing to go when desperate for money, which is an interesting look at human nature. There are several huge surprises too...when you find out that the old man was actually the mastermind behind the whole Squid Game operation....shocking! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? ❌ Answer one could be about ANY show ever. ❌ In fact, I could say 'Answer One' without having ever watched Squid Game! ✅ Answer two is specific. ✅ It's only about Squid Game. ✅ It shows I've actually watched the show. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? When asked 'why do you want to work here?' 'why should we hire you?' etc in job interviews. ❌ Don't respond like answer one. Avoid vague, general phrases like, 'I hear you have a great culture and are an industry leader....' ✅ Respond like answer two. Share things: ✅ Unique to that company ✅ Unique to you ✅ That prove you've researched and prepared for the interview Do that, and you'll get a great job offer that pays almost as much as the Squid Game winner 😎 💰 👍